Marketing Question

[musicforkids]

I trying to best spend my advertising dollars. I own a e-commerce website using miva.
1.) I'm thinking about paper (snail) mailers to schools mailed out to a list from a mailing company. (my biz is music for kids)

2.) Sink the money I would spend on mailers into SEO service?

3.) Sink the money into other forms of online advertising?

Any opinion would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Gary

[Red Flare]

Re: Marketing Question

I am confused - what are you selling?

Do you already have a website, if yes what is it?

[William Davis]

Re: Marketing Question

I trying to best spend my advertising dollars. I own a e-commerce website using miva.
1.) I'm thinking about paper (snail) mailers to schools mailed out to a list from a mailing company. (my biz is music for kids)

2.) Sink the money I would spend on mailers into SEO service?

3.) Sink the money into other forms of online advertising?

Any opinion would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Gary

Professionally speaking, I don't believe in putting all your eggs in one basket. If you do not have sufficient funds to execute every marketing strategy to achieve maximum expected results, then you must divide funds available among the strategies that are most likely to yield an adequate return on investment.

For example, SEO (organic). I personally favor alway's optimizing sites for optimum relevancy, because of its immediate, intermediate, and long term benefits, versus mailing campaigns.

Mailing campaigns can be a good form of marketing in some instances, but require a methodical, systematic, and measurable followup mailings (between 3 to 5) in order to be effective.

ANYONE WHO STATES OTHERWISE, I QUESTION THEIR PERSONAL/PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA, OR THEIR HONESTY.

If you do not have the funds to methodically, systematically, and measurable followup mailings (minimum of 3 to 5), you are wasting time, and money (I have the scars to prove it).

As to online advertising, the day before yesterday I cam across an article from InternetRetailer.com "95% of clicks are fraud". I personally favor Pay Per Conversion (bing.com) vs Pay Per Click that lends is self to click fraud from competitors, providers, etc... and price manipulation.

[Gamelord]

Re: Marketing Question

I think it would really depend on your actual business as to which marketing campaign would be best for you.

I have set up sites for others that - because of the nature of their site - don't really benefit from SEO. One in particular is a Tennis Instructor who specializes in local tennis lessons. I highly doubt that people from Florida or Virgina will be utilizing his services because he spent thousands in SEO marketing. Instead, his main source of business comes from locals through snail mail mailings - billboards and TV/Radio ads which has proven to be more effective for him that SEO.

If you are marketing to the masses - domestic and international - then yes, go with Bill's advice. If your business is set to mainly cater to locals in your area then other options may be better for you.

Hope that helps.

[William Davis]

Re: Marketing Question

I think it would really depend on your actual business as to which marketing campaign would be best for you.

I have set up sites for others that - because of the nature of their site - don't really benefit from SEO. One in particular is a Tennis Instructor who specializes in local tennis lessons. I highly doubt that people from Florida or Virgina will be utilizing his services because he spent thousands in SEO marketing. Instead, his main source of business comes from locals through snail mail mailings - billboards and TV/Radio ads which has proven to be more effective for him that SEO.

If you are marketing to the masses - domestic and international - then yes, go with Bill's advice. If your business is set to mainly cater to locals in your area then other options may be better for you.

Hope that helps.

Though there are always exceptions to just about any rule (though I cannot think of one wherein a website would not benefit from SEO), I must respectfully disagree with the example you used. If you have a "local" focused website, then you optimize the site for optimum local relevancy.

[Biffy]

Re: Marketing Question

I strongly favor SEM over all forms of advertising.

Take a look at this video titled "SEO as Key to E-Commerce Success" for an example of a successful online business that does no paid advertising at all.

Ecommerce Videos

[Gamelord]

Re: Marketing Question

Please don't take my comments as SEO is not worth doing and I strongly agree that any website can benefit from SEO, even local ones. I just wanted to point out that in a few of the websites that I have done for other people, the owners have had a much better response (ROI) from local advertising over SEO - meaning that they got a greater return on investment through radio or TV ads, mailers and/or newspaper ads compared to the amount of money they were spending on SEO - even though the SEO efforts did indeed improve their website business.

It still comes down to the individual business and whether or not the particular business benefits mostly from its website or from walk in traffic. I realize that this is the minority but I would hate to tell someone that they need to dump thousands into SEO when they could get a greater ROI through a local targeted mailer or media ad.

With the majority of business who plan on doing a good amount of their business over the internet then my feeling is that if you don't have good SEO - your not going to sell anything!

Hope that clarifies my statements a little better.

[Biffy]

Re: Marketing Question

The case study in the above video spent no money on SEO, just a lot of time.

[musicforkids]

Re: Marketing Question

I am confused - what are you selling?

Do you already have a website, if yes what is it?

I do have a website. I sell musical instruments.

[Red Flare]

Re: Marketing Question

Take a look at this post. It contains our experience to date: http://blog.mivamerchant.com/53/10-t...g-on-a-budget/

I wanted to add the following:

11. Talk to relevant forum owners about creating a contest that they announce. You will provide an item or service to give away to the winners. In the meantime you will get a ton of traffic and good publicity.